About 1,000 Syrian children at Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp have enrolled in a weekly football programme.

Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan - Young girls run across a dusty pitch, kicking up dust and screaming with joy as they chase after a ball. The desert sun burns in the afternoon heat, but the children still brim with energy.

Having escaped Syria's civil war, they now live in the largest refugee camp in the Middle East, Zaatari, in

northern Jordan. "I'm always looking forward to the practise," Besan al-Hariri, 11, told Al Jazeera. "I don't mind running in the heat because I can be with my friends."

Project coordinator Carine Nkoue told Al Jazeera that most of the children who participate in the football programme are severely traumatised.

"They have already gone through traumatic events: war, leaving their home, crossing borders and living as refugees," she said. To help them cope, the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), the foundation of Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, two years ago created a football programme in conjunction with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Around 700 boys and 300 girls now play each week, coached by other Syrian refugees.

Coach Abdullah al-Nahhas, 21, fled his village near the city of Daraa in January 2013 and has been living in Zaatari ever since. "I think we will be here for a long time, so I want to give the children a chance to take their mind off things," Nahhas told Al Jazeera.

The camp was established in July 2012, one year after the Syrian civil war broke out, and it has quickly grown into a sprawling camp in the desert. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

The objective of the football programme is to help children cope with the trauma of war and teach them values such as respect, fair play, team spirit and solidarity. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

More than half of the camp's population is under the age of 18. 'Football can play an important role in alleviating the pain of those who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria, especially children,' project coordinator Carine Nkoue said. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

Girls and boys train in separate sessions, according to religious customs. Children of all ages can join the practise, which is shorter in the summer months as the heat makes it harder to exercise. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

UEFA also holds monthly tournaments with prizes for the winning team, including medals, cups, snacks and water. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

On the sidelines, a group of children wait their turn to play football. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

For many children, football has become a welcome distraction from daily life inside the refugee camp. 'I love playing with my friends because we can have fun,' said five-year-old Eslam al-Zamel, pictured centre. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

There are few activities to keep children occupied in the camp, and school lasts only around three hours, leaving them with a lot of spare time. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

The camp was established in July 2012, one year after the Syrian civil war broke out, and it has quickly grown into a sprawling camp in the desert. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

The objective of the football programme is to help children cope with the trauma of war and teach them values such as respect, fair play, team spirit and solidarity. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

More than half of the camp's population is under the age of 18. 'Football can play an important role in alleviating the pain of those who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria, especially children,' project coordinator Carine Nkoue said. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

Girls and boys train in separate sessions, according to religious customs. Children of all ages can join the practise, which is shorter in the summer months as the heat makes it harder to exercise. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

UEFA also holds monthly tournaments with prizes for the winning team, including medals, cups, snacks and water. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

On the sidelines, a group of children wait their turn to play football. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

For many children, football has become a welcome distraction from daily life inside the refugee camp. 'I love playing with my friends because we can have fun,' said five-year-old Eslam al-Zamel, pictured centre. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

There are few activities to keep children occupied in the camp, and school lasts only around three hours, leaving them with a lot of spare time. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

The camp was established in July 2012, one year after the Syrian civil war broke out, and it has quickly grown into a sprawling camp in the desert. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

The objective of the football programme is to help children cope with the trauma of war and teach them values such as respect, fair play, team spirit and solidarity. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

More than half of the camp's population is under the age of 18. 'Football can play an important role in alleviating the pain of those who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria, especially children,' project coordinator Carine Nkoue said. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

Girls and boys train in separate sessions, according to religious customs. Children of all ages can join the practise, which is shorter in the summer months as the heat makes it harder to exercise. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

UEFA also holds monthly tournaments with prizes for the winning team, including medals, cups, snacks and water. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

On the sidelines, a group of children wait their turn to play football. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

For many children, football has become a welcome distraction from daily life inside the refugee camp. 'I love playing with my friends because we can have fun,' said five-year-old Eslam al-Zamel, pictured centre. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

There are few activities to keep children occupied in the camp, and school lasts only around three hours, leaving them with a lot of spare time. [Stephanie Ott/Al Jazeera]

Content on this website is for general information purposes only. Your comments
are provided by your own free will and you take sole responsibility for any direct
or indirect liability. You hereby provide us with an irrevocable, unlimited, and
global license for no consideration to use, reuse, delete or publish comments, in
accordance with Community Rules & Guidelines and Terms and Conditions.